THE 2009 GROWING SEASON
54% Merlot
31% Cabernet Sauvignon
10% Petit Verdot
5% Cabernet Franc
Offspring of a warm, sunny vintage, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2009 displays above all else the superb ripe fruit characteristic of the vintage. Its colour is intense and offers a nose rich with ripe dark berryfruit and fruit preserves, enlivened with a delicate vein of spice. On the palate, full and well-rounded with notably refined, silky tannins. A seductive acidity keeps all the components in balance, prolonging a finish that has an appealing freshness.
VINIFICATION AND AGEING
The grapes were handpicked into 15 kg baskets; the bunches were graded and selected by hand on a double sorting table, before and after destemming, and finally soft-pressed. Each varietal and single vineyard block was vinified separately. The primary fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at temperatures between 26° C and 30° C for one week, followed by 10-15 days of maceration on the skins. The malolactic fermentation, which began in the steel tanks, was completed after the wine was racked into barriques (25% new and 75% a year old). The wine remained in barriques in Ornellaia’s temperature-controlled cellars for about 15 months. After the first 12 months the wine was assembled, and then returned to the barriques for an additional 3 months of aging. After bottling, the wine aged a further 6 months prior to release.
WINEMAKER’S TASTING NOTES
“Offspring of a warm, sunny vintage, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2009 displays above all else the superb ripe fruit characteristic of the vintage. Its colour is intense and offers a nose rich with ripe dark berryfruit and fruit preserves, enlivened with a delicate vein of spice. On the palate, full and well-rounded with notably refined, silky tannins. A seductive acidity keeps all the components in balance, prolonging a finish that has an appealing freshness.”
Axel Heinz – September 2011
RATINGS
Wine Advocate 92
Wine Spectator 89
James Suckling 91
Antonio Galloni 92
Falstaff 93
